Senior Autonomy Engineer - State Estimation

The Role

As a Senior Autonomy Engineer – State Estimation, you'll play a critical role in developing the navigation, localization, and sensor fusion technologies that enable autonomous vehicles to safely operate in some of the most challenging environments imaginable.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead the design and development of vehicle state estimation architectures
• Develop and validate advanced state filters including: Extended Kalman Filters (EKF), Unscented Kalman Filters (UKF), Factor graph optimization methods, Probabilistic localization techniques
• Design global and relative localization solutions
• Fuse data from multiple onboard and external sensing systems
• Define estimator interfaces, timing requirements, covariance structures, and data products
• Develop observability analyses, consistency monitoring, and fault detection strategies
• Lead performance validation through simulation, field testing, and operational analysis
• Collaborate with sensor, systems, controls, and autonomy teams on calibration, latency management, and fault tolerance
• Investigate anomalies and perform root cause analysis during integration and operational testing
• Support field testing and vehicle validation campaigns
• Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across autonomy initiatives
• Stay current with emerging technologies in robotics, navigation, localization, and autonomous systems

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience developing state estimation systems for robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or related industries
• Deep understanding of: State estimation theory, Uncertainty propagation, Observability analysis, Probabilistic filtering techniques
• Hands-on experience with: EKF, UKF, Factor graph optimization, Smoothing-based estimation methods
• Experience with localization in complex or unstructured environments
• Strong programming skills in C++ and Python
• Experience working with ROS and robotic software frameworks
• Proven ability to lead technical efforts and mentor engineers

Preferred Experience

• GPS-denied navigation systems
• Planetary robotics or autonomous vehicle platforms
• Terrain-relative navigation and terrain matching
• Image-based localization techniques
• Sensor fusion for complex robotic systems
• Control system integration
• Fault management architectures
• Long-duration autonomous operations
• Simulation and validation toolchains
• Graduate degree in Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related disciplines